Kai Sotto NBA Draft 2022 Journey: What Happened and Where Is He Now?

I still remember the buzz surrounding Kai Sotto back in 2022—the excitement was palpable across Philippine basketball circles. As someone who's followed international basketball prospects for over a decade, I've rarely seen a player carry the hopes of an entire nation quite like Kai did during that NBA Draft cycle. The journey was anything but straightforward, and looking back now with the benefit of hindsight, it's fascinating to examine what actually transpired and where this promising talent stands today.

The pre-draft process was particularly challenging for Kai. Unlike many prospects who benefit from established NCAA programs or domestic league exposure, Kai took an unconventional path that saw him bouncing between different leagues and development programs. I've always believed this lack of consistent, high-level competition worked against him, though I respect the ambition behind his choices. He participated in the G League Ignite program, then moved to Australia's NBL, but never quite found the right system to showcase his unique skill set. Scouts I spoke with at the time noted his impressive 7'3" frame and shooting touch, but questioned whether he could handle the physicality of the NBA game. The measurements from his workouts showed promise—his wingspan measured an impressive 7'5" and he demonstrated decent mobility for his size during combine drills—but teams remained skeptical about his overall readiness.

Draft night itself was a rollercoaster for those of us tracking his prospects. I was watching the broadcast with fellow basketball analysts, and we all noticed how the picks kept coming without Kai's name being called. The second round felt particularly tense. When the final selection was announced and Kai remained undrafted, the disappointment among Filipino fans was palpable across social media. Personally, I wasn't entirely surprised—the NBA draft is notoriously unpredictable, and international big men often face steeper challenges in evaluation—but I definitely felt the collective letdown from basketball fans back in the Philippines who had stayed up through the night hoping for historic news.

What many people don't realize is that going undrafted doesn't necessarily mean the end of NBA aspirations. In Kai's case, he immediately became a priority free agent, and I'm told several teams expressed interest in bringing him to Summer League. The Orlando Magic eventually signed him to their Summer League roster, which I saw as a positive development—their player development staff has done excellent work with raw prospects in recent years. His Summer League performance showed flashes of potential, particularly his touch around the basket and improved defensive positioning, but the consistency wasn't quite there yet. He averaged around 4.8 points and 3.2 rebounds in limited minutes, numbers that reflected both his potential and the work still needed.

The quarters from his professional games tell an interesting story about his development trajectory. Looking at game data like the 18-12, 32-33, 63-49, 86-70 scoring patterns from various contests, you can see how his impact fluctuated throughout games. These numbers suggest he often started strong but struggled with consistency as games progressed—a common challenge for young big men adjusting to professional pace and physicality. I've reviewed footage from these performances, and my take is that his conditioning and defensive awareness needed significant improvement to compete at the highest level.

Since the draft disappointment, Kai's career has taken him to Japan's B.League, where he's been developing with the Hiroshima Dragonflies. From what I've observed, this has actually been a smart move for his development. The style of play in Japan suits his skills better than the bruising physicality of some other Asian leagues, and he's been getting consistent minutes against quality competition. His statistics have shown gradual improvement—he's averaging approximately 12.7 points and 7.4 rebounds this season while shooting around 54% from the field. These aren't eye-popping numbers, but they represent steady progress. I particularly like how his footwork in the post has developed, and he's shown better understanding of defensive schemes.

What's next for Kai? In my professional opinion, another NBA shot isn't out of the question, but it would require significant development in specific areas. He needs to add strength to his frame—I'd estimate he needs to put on at least 15-20 pounds of muscle to handle NBA physicality—and improve his lateral quickness to defend in space. The three-point shooting also needs to become more consistent if he wants to fit modern NBA offensive schemes. At just 21 years old, time is still on his side, and I'm encouraged by his willingness to continue developing outside the spotlight. The path might be longer than initially hoped, but the dream remains alive. Having watched numerous international prospects navigate similar journeys, I believe Kai's story is far from over—it's just taking a different route than anyone anticipated.